LOS DIABLOS DE TILCAJETE
In the surrounding valleys of Oaxaca in Mexico, there is an ancestral celebration where entire communities take over the streets, filling the atmosphere with music, fireworks, and the presence of dark & mythical entities. With burnt oil covering their entire skins, loud-clattering cowbells around their waists, and masks made of dried animal parts, bones, and carved wood, they embody and channel the energy from their ancestors in the form of dancing devils.
But it’s not all about creating a diabolical block party all around town. Dating back to the times of Spanish colonization, these carnivals held mythical & ancestral significance mixed with a rebellious act of mockery to the imposed Catholic religion by Spanish invaders. To prepare themselves for Cuaresma, a period of 40 days of penance, prayer, and fasting, the Zapotecas created symbolic wedding engagements as an excuse to celebrate and drink before Sunday confession and the upcoming weeks of good Catholic behavior.
These fictitious weddings were accompanied by a horde of Diablos that marched the streets, starting from the bride’s house, and making their way to the municipality center in a big celebratory and festive dance.
The costume’s purpose was not just for fun; turning into a diablo also had a mythical and spiritual purpose. They dress up to protect themselves against bad energies and influences, while the loud-sounding cowbells were used to fend off evil and bad spirits. Spiritually, they not only cleanse themselves as individuals but also cleanse the whole town, celebrating as a connected community.
But it’s not all about creating a diabolical block party all around town. Dating back to the times of Spanish colonization, these carnivals held mythical & ancestral significance mixed with a rebellious act of mockery to the imposed Catholic religion by Spanish invaders. To prepare themselves for Cuaresma, a period of 40 days of penance, prayer, and fasting, the Zapotecas created symbolic wedding engagements as an excuse to celebrate and drink before Sunday confession and the upcoming weeks of good Catholic behavior.
These fictitious weddings were accompanied by a horde of Diablos that marched the streets, starting from the bride’s house, and making their way to the municipality center in a big celebratory and festive dance.
The costume’s purpose was not just for fun; turning into a diablo also had a mythical and spiritual purpose. They dress up to protect themselves against bad energies and influences, while the loud-sounding cowbells were used to fend off evil and bad spirits. Spiritually, they not only cleanse themselves as individuals but also cleanse the whole town, celebrating as a connected community.
Oaxaca, 2024
